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Chartered Marketer SA

Mastery in marketing - recognising success

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:49

The Chartered Marketer SA (CMSA) designation recognises and positions marketers who have reached a level of “mastery” in marketing in South Africa.

The CMSA designation has been in existence since the late 1990s and is now, courtesy of the Services SETA and a dedicated team of individuals drawn from the marketing industry, taking off again after the demise of the Marketing Federation of South Africa (MFSA).

Existing Chartered Marketers have been through an extensive CPD (Continuing Professional Development) process, and those that completed this process were re-certified with their certificates presented by the Services SETA at a ceremony in Johannesburg in February.

These CMSA’s and the ones yet to come are recognised not only in South Africa, but also in 16 countries in Europe through the European Marketing Confederation.

The first new cohort of potential chartered marketers are approaching the end of their CMSA process and will be sitting the Board Exam in the middle of April 2009. The designation is set at Level 7 on the NQF.

Becoming a Chartered Marketer in SA is no walk in the park. It is not a tick-box process, but a rigorous examination of a candidate’s marketing life. It is not just about producing and structuring many years of evidence of one’s successes in marketing.

It requires the candidate to undertake a process of self-reflection that makes one question and deliberate the reasons behind the actions that were taken, what was learned and assess how these lessons been applied subsequently.

It also challenges marketers to learn as much from failures as from successes. Candidates will need at least ten years experience at a senior, strategic level to get through the process. Thereafter CMSAs need to maintain their status throughout ongoing CPD involvement.

Marketing Practitioner SA: the Bridge to CMSA Status

For young marketers who do not yet have the ten years or so of coal face experience, but who have ambition and desire to achieve the ultimate career and income distinction, Marketing Practitioner South Africa (MPSA) is the perfect primer.

While the ten years experience is not mandatory, it provides a good guideline of the requisite skills base and experience needed to successfully complete the CMSA process.

Registered at level 5 on the NQF in June 2008, the MPSA is the first Professional Designation for mid-level marketers and is targeted at individuals who have around three to five years of practical marketing experience at a tactical level in the “doing and implementing” of marketing strategies.

Such individuals should also have some management experience at a supervisory level.

The MPSA designation is internationally recognised with the EMC (European Marketing Confederation), which represents marketing across the European Union. On completing the process candidates gain a South African certificate from SAQA (South African Qualifications Authority) and Services SETA, as well as one from the EMC.

Next steps:

The process leading to the CMSA or MPSA designation is based on Recognition of Prior Learning. This means that candidates have to produce evidence that they are competent when assessed against the outcomes that are specified in the registered qualification.

The evidence is compiled in a Portfolio of Evidence (PoE). This is a structured process which has an ongoing set of quality assurance checks to ensure that those who complete the process are worthy of the designation.

The steps in the process for CMSA and MPSA are:

• Attend a full day Initial CMSA/MPSA Workshop. This explains all aspects of the process so that you can decide whether you want to continue with it.

• Start gathering evidence against the specified outcomes and associated assessment criteria and consider the self reflections that led you to taking those actions. The specific outcomes for MPSA are at a tactical level while CMSA outcomes are at a strategic level.

• Attend a half day Evidence Review workshop at which you work both in groups and on a one-to-one basis with RPL advisors to discuss and evaluate the evidence that you have compiled and to see whether there are any gaps. If any are identified, then you make plans to remedy these.

• Complete your portfolio and submit it.

• Your portfolio is then assessed by registered constituent assessors.

• If anything is seen as not meeting the requirements you will be advised and will then correct the situation.

• You attend an hour-long session where you make a 15-minute presentation to a panel on why you should be awarded the designation and answer questions from the panel.

• Your portfolio and the video recording of your presentation and panel interview are then assessed.

• MPSA Designation: If found competent you are advised and are awarded the Marketing Practitioner SA designation.

• CMSA Designation: Write Board exam based on a case study. If found competent you are advised and are awarded the Chartered Marketer SA designation.

How long does this take?

The process is dependent on the enthusiasm of the candidate and the availability of evidence. For individuals who are totally committed to achieving either designation and have good access to evidence, then it could take three months. Others have taken six months or more. Once candidates commit to the process, they have one year to complete the CMSA/MPSA.

What does it cost?

The total cost for the MPSA is R6,000.00 (excl VAT). The total cost for the CMSA is R12 000 (excl Vat). Services SETA are offering various subsidies to candidates.

How do I find out more? What do I do next?

Contact Recognition of Prior Marketing Learning (Pty) Ltd - the company handling the designation process for Services SETA. Candidates will be sent documents that describe the process in more depth and what happens at the Initial CMSA/MPSA Workshop that all candidates are required to attend. This includes a list of dates and an application form so that you can choose which workshop you want to attend.

For more information about either Chartered Marketer SA or Marketing Practitioner SA please contact us.